Identifying suitable habitats for brown bear (Ursus arctos) in northern Zagros forests

Wildlife is an important biological indicator of viability of ecosystems, therefore, understanding habitat requirements of species is essential for biodiversity conservation. Determining the suitability of habitats for wildlife is important for effective management and conservation of species. The brown bear (Ursus arctos), as the largest carnivorous mammal in Iran, is distributed in most forest and mountain ecosystems and has a high conservation value. In the current study, brown bear habitat suitability modelling, in Kurdistan Province, was performed using maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt). After collecting the presence data and environmental variables, and examining the correlation between the variables, the obtained data were entered into the MaxEnt model. Results showed that temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, topography and vegetation are the most important variables in predicting habitat suitability of the brown bear in Kurdistan province. From the total area of Kurdistan Province, 1, 5 and 11 % were respectively accounted for habitats of high, moderate and low suitability, and 83% of the area was clssifed as unsuitable habitats. Based on the results, Chehel Cheshmeh, Shaho and Kosalan protected areas are suitable habitats for the brown bear. Zagros forests are considered as one of the main habitats of brown bear in Iran, consequently, the conservation of these habitats is essential to protect populations of this valuable carnivorous species.